Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a primary type of gynecologic cancer afflicting women’s reproductive organs. If detected in the early stages, this cancer can be halted by attacking pre-cancerous or cancerous cells without the need to remove the uterus or damage the cervix. However, the failure to make a timely diagnosis can allow the cancer to quickly spread.

What Is Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control on the cervix, or the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. A virus – known as human papillomavirus (HPV) – is the usual cause of cervical cancer. HPV is often transmitted through sexual contact with someone who already has the virus. High risk factors for developing cervical cancer include having sex at an early age, having multiple sex partners or having a partner or many partners who are active in high-risk sexual activities. You can unknowingly have HPV in your body for years before it causes cervical cancer.

How Is Cervical Cancer Diagnosed?

Symptoms of cervical cancer include:

Abnormal vaginal bleeding

Frequent vaginal discharge tinged with blood

Pain during sex

Unexplained changes in the menstrual cycle

Bleeding when something comes into contact with your cervix.

Cervical cancer may spread to the bladder, intestines, lungs and liver. Often no symptoms appear until the cancer is advanced and has spread. Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer may include:

Back pain

Bone pain or fractures

Fatigue

Leaking of urine or feces from the vagina

Leg pain

Loss of appetite

Pelvic pain

Single swollen leg

Weight loss.

A Pap test as part of a regular pelvic examination can detect changes in the cervical cells before they become cancerous. The Pap test involves taking a sample of cells from a woman’s cervix, and examining them for any abnormal changes. Should abnormal cells be detected, a gynecologist can conduct a colposcopy, which involves viewing the cervix with a magnifying instrument known as a colposcope. Another follow-up procedure is a cone biopsy, where a cone-shaped wedge of tissue is taken from the cervix and examined under a microscope for any sign of cancer. If cancer is detected, a physician may order additional tests to determine if the cancer has spread, including a chest X-ray, CT scan, MRI, a cystoscopy (a procedure using a telescope to see the inside of the bladder and urethra), or intravenous pyelogram (a special X-ray examination of the kidneys and bladder).

Missed or Delayed Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer

While a Pap test as part of a regular pelvic exam is usually an effective method for detecting cervical cancer early, a gynecologist may misread the Pap smear results or improperly perform the pelvic exam. A pathologist at the laboratory where the Pap test sample is sent may improperly perform the testing. Other missteps include an improperly performed or assessed biopsy or colposcopy. A gynecologist may fail to perform follow up assessments or testing even when a Pap test reveals abnormal cell growth. Treatments depend on a woman’s age and health, the size and shape of the tumor, the stage of the cancer, and a woman’s desire to have children in the future. Treatments include cryotherapy (freezing abnormal cells), laser therapy (using a light beam to burn abnormal tissue) or loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), which involves the use of electricity to destroy abnormal cells. If the cancer has not spread, a doctor can surgically remove the cancer along with pelvic lymph nodes, without having to remove both ovaries and fallopian tubes. If the cervical cancer has spread, treatments include chemotherapy and radiation therapy. A radical hysterectomy is another treatment option for more advanced cervical cancer. This surgery involves removing the uterus and much of the surrounding tissues, including lymph nodes and the upper part of the vagina. An extreme type of surgery, known as pelvic exenteration, removes all pelvic organs.

Consequences of Missed or Delayed Diagnoses of Cervical Cancer

The prognosis for cervical cancer depends on many factors, such as the stage of the cancer, a woman’s age and general health, whether the cancer returns after treatment, and the type of cervical cancer (some types do not respond well to treatment). If treated properly, pre-cancerous conditions can be completely cured. Women have a good chance for a five-year survival rate if the cancer has only spread to the inside of the cervix walls but not outside of the cervical area. The five-year survival rate declines if the cancer spreads outside the walls of the cervix into other areas of the body.

Our Delayed Cervical Cancer Diagnosis Attorneys Can Help You

For more than 30 years, Powers & Santola, LLP, has assisted patients and their families in Albany, Syracuse and surrounding communities in New York to seek justice for injuries caused by a failure to diagnose a medical condition, including cervical and other gynecologic cancers. Allow us to put our experience, talent and resources to work for you and provide a careful and thorough review of your case. Contact us today by phone at 518.465.5995 or through our online chat.

Find out if you have a case.

Our Communities

Albany County | Saratoga County | Schenectady County | Rensselaer County | Ulster County | Columbia County | Greene County | Warren County | Fulton County | Montgomery County | Sullivan County | Dutchess County | Washington County | Schoharie County | Onondaga County | Oneida County | Otsego County

The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.